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City go ten unbeaten.

NEWRY City extended their unbeaten run to ten games but had to share the points in Castlederg as Dergview twice came from behind to match goals from Decky Carville and Jimmy Walker.

Dergview ...2 Newry City...2

While a draw keeps that unbeaten run going, Newry would have hoped for better after getting off to the best possible start, something Newry manager Darren Mullen agreed with.

"When you score in the first minute of a game it should be the ideal way to push on and get three points," said Mullen.

"However we squandered chances in both halves and unfortunately paid the price again. That said Dergview certainly didn't play like a team who are in the bottom half of the table and made it a difficult game.

"Their goals were two excellent strikes and there's very little Steven [Maguire] could have done about them.

"I can't fault the players for their effort as they worked hard all over the pitch and are annoyed that they didn't get the win.

"We are on a terrific run at the minute and to go ten games unbeaten is a credit to them. On another day we would have put those chances away but it wasn't to be and we now have a cup semi-final at home to look forward to."

With only a minute on the clock Marty Havern cut the home defence open with a perfect pass into the stride of Carville, who picked his spot wide of the Dergview keeper Buchanan.

Chances came and went at both ends, Steven Maguire pushed a low shot from Gareth Falconer around his post, while for Newry Stephen Hughes and Carville combined on the Newry right and set up Havern at the near post, whose shot went wide.

The home side drew level on the quarter hour mark.

Attacking down the left wing Newry were caught out when Falconer switched play to the right wing where he found Aaron Arkinson who then picked out Ryan Campbell to volley home.

Newry almost responded in the best possible fashion.

Walker clipped a free-kick into the box, which was met by a powerful header from Darren King and with the ball seemingly heading for the top corner it was clawed back by a flying save from Buchanan.

Newry were handed the chance to go back ahead shortly before half-time in somewhat controversial circumstances when referee Harrigan ruled that Dergview defender Richard Lynch had passed the ball back to his goal keeper who handled the ball.

The referee awarding a free-kick to Newry around the penalty spot. Newry's dead ball expert Walker elected for power and smashed the ball past a crowded Dergview defensive line to leave Newry 2-1 ahead at the break.

The second half was only minutes old when Havern got behind the Dergview defence only to be denied by an excellent last ditch challenge from Lee McNulty.

While Maguire had to be at his best to push away an effort from McManus, it was Buchanan who was the busier of the keepers' in the second half.

The Dergview custodian was grateful to see a shot from Carville fizz the wrong side of his post and then he blocked a first time shot from Keith Johnston after he was set up by Stephen Hughes.

However, despite Newry's offensive dominance they were unable to grab that vital third goal and were made to pay the price late in the game when a sweeping Dergview attack moved the ball from back to front, eventually found Browne on the edge of the box, and his arrowed shot cannoned off the base of Maguire's post and into the net for a share of the spoils.

There was still a chance for a third Newry goal only for Decky Carville to dither when placed in front of goal allowing a Dergview defender to get back to block and with that Newry's winning chance was gone.